


An Appropriate Distance

by dystopianDebaucher



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), M/M, Persephone Goes Willingly With Hades (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:21:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23116153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dystopianDebaucher/pseuds/dystopianDebaucher
Summary: Was it love at first sight? An uncanny fascination for the unknown? Or was it that his longing for what he had lost had burst at its seams? Jealousy mixed with his shock as he eyed the man who was humming, silently watching on as he slowly blended in with the shadows. It had devastated him, how beautiful this person could be under the thing that rejected him the most, yet also gave him a sense of belonging and hope. Why?
Relationships: Choi Minki | Ren/Kang Dongho | Baekho
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19
Collections: Spring Blessings (Nu'est 8th Anniversary Fic Fest)





	An Appropriate Distance

**Author's Note:**

> so the section breaks i ended up using are quotes from the secret history. some of which pertain to murder and drugs but i used it in the context of love so don't mind me lmao :(( also i genuinely don't know what to tag this as but oh Well
> 
> ANYWAY THIS WAS WRITTEN IN A PANIC, as one does, AND WELL I HOPE IT'S GOOD FOR Y'ALL CRIES A LOT
> 
> (also for all those who commented on my other works thank u a bunch i don't have the energy at the moment to reply and it's been idk more than a month so like #awkward bUT EITHER WAY I LOVE Y'ALL)
> 
> HUGE ASS SHOUTOUT TO @3minsclapping FOR BEARING WITH MY AND MY GENERAL BEING AND ESPECIALLY PANIC LKGNLKSDJGSDF  
> Thank you as well to the prompter! Been wanting to write this au for the LONGEST time but alas,,,, i hope I did it justice!! :((((

**_Beauty is rarely consolatory. Quite the contrary. Genuine beauty is always quite alarming._ **

Hades didn’t know why and when he appeared in the human realm, but suddenly the air shifted around him and life surrounded him, unlike when he was at home. His pale skin felt scorched under the sun, cursing Helios as he shifted the shadows of the surrounding plants and used them as shade as he walked.

He was still wondering why he was suddenly dragged to this realm when he heard a soft humming; it was faint, but as someone who had been so attuned to life--or lack thereof--in the Underworld, he was drawn to the melodious charm of the humming. It was then that he realised that maybe the Fates were testing him; making fun of his aloof nature and tormenting him with a realm he had no part of. 

Was it love at first sight? An uncanny fascination for the unknown? Or was it that his longing for what he had lost had burst at its seams? Jealousy mixed with his shock as he eyed the man who was humming, silently watching on as he slowly blended in with the shadows. It had devastated him, how beautiful this person could be under the thing that rejected him the most, yet also gave him a sense of belonging and hope. Why?

Hades slowly crept over, observing the beautiful man who was busy tending to the living things he had been devoid of. The realm he now ruled over knew nothing of the warmth of the sun and its graces. The shadows that shielded him from the other’s gaze began to fade, for the closer he got to the small area the other was tending to, the brighter the sun glared. The trees near the area started to shift, as if out of fear from another being intruding upon their area, causing the person to stop humming and look his way.

Persephone had felt a shift in the area, a presence that was unfamiliar yet deeply grieving; at least, that was how it felt. There was sadness there, in the darkness, where he had slowly started to approach. Was it human? He didn’t think so; this garden of his was a place his mother had made for him. No mere mortal could intrude upon his area. “Who’s there?” He asked, unsure if anyone would be willing to answer. But someone did. A small squeak came from the garden that had become still. 

“I won’t hurt you,” He added, as if he had the capacity to do so. “Come out,” He noted, brows furrowed as he continued his approach, his fists tightly clenched as a mix of concern and fear was starting to bubble up in him--feelings he never thought he’d experience first-hand. It wasn’t until the shadows shifted unnaturally that he figured the other meant no harm. It was as if he was trying to play hide-and-seek, but was greatly failing as Persephone could sense where he would shift to next with the help of the forest. 

Finally, when he had cornered the figure in one of the shadows of a boulder in the middle of the small forest that he frequently took a nap on, did the shadow stop. The shadows spread out, as if to contain him, before forming a black entity on top of the boulder. “And you are?” He asked, unsure if he should take a step back or forward, eyes wide as a pale beauty slowly erupted from the figure of the black entity.

Another feeling welled up inside of him, but he wasn’t sure if it was fear, shock, intrigue, or amazement. Perhaps it was all those feelings which welled up at once, and he couldn’t manage anything after his query, eyes wide as he fell backwards.

A frail figure that had the scent of death and decay. Deep sorrow, anguish, and anger were etched on his features, as though one look could render anything incapacitated. Yet why? Why did he think that this creature was the most beautiful thing he’d seen? How could such a beautiful creature emerge from such a monstrous entity? He was completely allured, captivated, _bewitched_. The darkness that he had been so separated from (mostly due to his mother’s influence) had come rushing in, leaving him no room to properly assess the situation.

“I’m sorry.” The figure spoke, before lifting his hand and everything went black.

_**Any action, in the fullness of time, sinks to nothingness.** _

Even with the owner of the domain collapsing, he wasn’t brought back to his own. Hades had thought that with the collapse of the owner, the world around him would shift again, and he would return to the darkness that he had grown accustomed to. But it didn’t, and now the situation only grew worse.

He didn’t know what to do with the body that he had just made collapse. Should he touch him? Bring him back into the sun? He used the shadows to slowly move the beauty back to the edge of the small forest, throwing him over to the sun with as much force as the dissolving shadows could muster. A feeling that he had thought he’d forgotten brewed in the depths of his stomach, confusion evident on his face as he waited for the beauty to wake.

Hades felt as though he’d only blinked thrice before the beauty awoke, rubbing his eyes as he took in his surroundings, visibly still in shock. The beauty immediately shot up and moved away from him, eyes staring him down. “Who are you?” He asked, though Hades only looked away in response.

“I’d rather not say,” He replied, brows furrowed.

It was odd, Persephone thought, he was clearly so much stronger than him. He had the power to do however he wished, but to think that the thing he saw when he woke was the figure crouched down at the edge of the shadowy area, staring at him in what he could only think was intrigue. And now, while he looked away, he could imagine tears running down his face. Why?

“Then could you tell me what you want from me?” He asked, noting that it mattered not who he was, but what was going to happen next.

“I only wanted to go home.”

_**We think we have many desires, but in fact we only have one: to live forever.** _

Time had become irrelevant to the lives of immortals, hence Hades had no way of knowing how long it has been since arriving in the garden outskirts. Persephone had grown tired of having to always go near the forest area to speak with him, and he had told him that he had become quite bored of just having the plants to talk to, so he grew some trees to give him the shade he needed to approach the main garden.

What could they talk about? The topics of conversations they could have plummeted to zero the moment Hades realised that he was not only in a completely different realm altogether, but the very essence of their beings clashed like night and day. But that didn’t faze Persephone in the slightest, much to his surprise.

It was hard to adjust to a life basking in the sun, and the trees in the vicinity of the flower patches had gradually increased from Persephone’s influence, as he had noted Hades’ aversion to sunlight might as well be a personality trait more than anything else. Also, Persephone saw how a grimace would form on his features whenever he had to (or rather, forced himself to, lest he stay idle) help, and he didn’t quite know why Hades was forcing himself to move around. An occupational habit? Did the Lord of the Underworld move around a lot in his own realm? Seemed like it.

Although Persephone had tried to make it as comfortable as it is for him to be able to slowly adjust, the cool of the nights felt like mere seconds to Hades compared to the scorch of the sun. The paleness of his own skin compared to the other’s tan made Hades all the more wary to exposing himself under the bright light, the differences between them being all the more apparent.

Restlessness settled in his bones when he continuously watched Persephone tending to the area, harvesting fruit, watering plants, and tilling the soil day-by-day. As time passed, he couldn’t bear to watch anymore, his cold sighs under the shade only further isolating him from the beauty. So he tried to help. He harvested fruit, he watered the plants, and he tilled the soil, day-by-day alongside Persephone. He used to call upon the shadows of all the trees in the vicinity to shield him from the sun, but it started to hinder him from proper work so as time passed, he eventually abandoned the shield in order to truly help the source of his affections. It earned him quite a few compliments, and double the amount of scoldings, but the attention was well worth it.

**_Not quite what one had expected, but once it happened one realised that it couldn’t be any other way._ **

Persephone couldn’t make heads or tails of Hades’ actions, but he didn’t mind it at the end of the day. As someone who had constantly wanted to go home since they met, he wouldn’t have put it past him to refuse to do anything and prefer to stay in his comfort zone. But he soon realised that this ethereal being was far more than he expected.

Hades was careful and careless at the same time. While he tried hard to help, he also stepped on more than a few flowers while doing so. He noticed that the God had started hovering around him for a while, unsure of what to do or say, so he asked for help just to pass the time, but he didn’t think it would lead to broken branches and dead flowers.

He had started helping with the fruit harvesting after a while of crushing flowers under his foot, and it seemed like he liked peaches quite a lot. The God wasn’t a messy eater _per se,_ but he also wasn’t a very neat one. Persephone had ended up ripping a part of his tunic to wipe off some of the fruit juices around his mouth and face (much to Hades’ dismay and shame). He also learned the God could be quite petty. Once he was stung by a bee, and it seemed to itch quite a lot afterwards, earning the poor bee death by fire. Persephone had severely reprimanded him that day, and he sat quietly in the shade for a few days after.

Hades learned that Persephone’s beauty wasn’t merely on the surface. His soul was just as beautiful as he. Though he could be quite scary once angered, he also took care of him to the point of ripping his own tunic for him. He also slowly taught him how to take care of the plants in the area. At some point, the animals that his presence had scared away started to come back (he couldn’t control his aura when he arrived, and the stench of death had terrified the animals. Persephone had noticed, but opted to not comment upon seeing the frown on his face). Feeding and bathing some animals was added to his to-do list, and living under the sun and with living creatures in general made a smile slowly form on his features.

Persephone felt the sun dim the moment Hades flashed his first smile, adding on a small complaint about how wet he got after being nudged to the side while bathing a deer, had caused him to tumble and fall on his bum in the river.

And the only thought in Persephone’s mind that moment Hades’ smile and light banter was thrown at him, was a promise to himself: to forever make it his mission to continue seeing that smile until the very end.

While Hades had thought, as he sat in the water, the rarest of smiles still plastered on his face, that the only reason he’d continue to smile was because of the other, and no one else.

Thinking back, this was the first of the many small and loving moments to come.

**_After all, the appeal to stop being yourself, even for a little while, is very great._ **

Hades knew. He knew that his feelings would cause disarray; but at this point he had no cares left in him. Persephone acknowledged him in his entirety, and that was all he needed. His existence--something that mortals had longed to reject--was something that Persephone had accepted. So his entire being, his own existence, now belonged to him.

Hades had spent, what felt like only a moment in the garden, almost a century with him. They chatted about everything the world has and had yet to offer. They talked of humans and living creatures and their immortality. Time was irrelevant to the two, who had everything and nothing to live for. And he would have spent eternity by his side, without question, until a frantic Hermes had come and informed him that his absence has caused damage to the world.

“What do you mean people aren’t dying?”

“I mean exactly that! People aren’t dying!”

“Is Thanatos not doing his job properly?”

“It’s _you_ that’s not!” Hermes sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. It was a good thing that he had quickly hidden Hermes in a shadow and relocated the two of them somewhere far, or else Persephone would’ve heard and it would’ve caused him unnecessary worry.

“Charon told us he couldn’t ferry any more souls without your permission, and the shores have become a cramped den!”

“Did they not have coins? What does he need my permission for?!” Hades argued.

“He’s being a responsible ferryman; you’re supposed to be overseeing your domain, and yet here you are with Demeter’s son? She’ll go into hysterics if she finds out!”

“Then make sure she doesn’t find out!” He yelled back, causing the messenger to flinch.

“Too late!” Demeter’s voice boomed forth, causing the ground to rumble beneath him. It was a good thing Persephone had laid out a path of trees for him to the garden, otherwise he would’ve been short an arm as Demeter’s anger caused a tree to explode into thousands of pieces, as though the tree had sacrificed itself to quell its God’s distress.

Hades quickly shifted through all the shadows, immediately finding Persephone and hiding in one of the more barren areas to speak to him. “Please, _please_ , I beg of you, come with me.”

“To where?” Persephone asked, brows furrowed. He was sure he just heard his mother’s voice back there, but the shock of Hades popping out of nowhere with a sudden proposal made him put that at the back of his mind.

“Home. _My_ home.”

“You know how to get back?”

“For a while now,” Hades replied, unable to maintain eye contact.  
“Why didn’t you--” Persephone stopped himself in the middle before clearing his throat and nodding. “Okay.”

“ _Perfect_.”

A branch had just stretched out to pierce through the ground where Hades once stood, an angry scream echoing throughout the area.

**_There are such things as ghosts. Only now, we call them by a different name. Memory. The unconscious._ **

He couldn’t do it, he couldn’t promise a life without him.

Zeus had been nagging at him to give Persephone back (as if he’s taken him hostage) due to Demeter’s antics, but the Underworld that had just managed to feel a little more like a real _home_ would immediately turn into a prison the moment he’s gone.

It hadn’t been long since Persephone agreed to come with him (or has it, he didn’t know, but it sure felt like it was only been a blink of an eye) and after introducing him to Charon, Cerberus, and the many (read: barely any) amenities present, he started asking him if any of the areas in the Underworld were conducive for plants to grow, so he might have his own garden area as well.

In response, Persephone had started to create a few flowers for him and even Cerberus. Aconite and the Flower of Hades were the main attractions of the small patch of land he had started to cultivate. “I’m sorry it’s not that pretty,” Persephone added, presenting to him the flower he named after the God.

“It’s the most beautiful,” Hades had disagreed, his pallid skin baring a hint of colour around the cheeks. _Only next after you_ , he added to himself only, smiling as he held the flower in his hand.

The equivalent of peaches in the underworld, it seemed, was pomegranates. Hades all but jumped in anticipation as he offered it to him, staring a hole through the other’s face to catch his expression while he ate. “It’s very delicious,” Persephone noted, smiling and offering Hades the other half, “Thank you.”

Their days went by without a hitch at first, until Hades was summoned to Mount Olympus by a furious Zeus. Demeter, thankfully, wasn’t present but a small skirmish erupted after Hades told his brother ‘ _no_ ’. When Persephone had found Hades bloodied up, cleaning his wounds by the river, grumbling to himself, he took matters into his own hands and told him he would leave.

“Don’t exaggerate, I won’t be gone forever,” Persephone reasoned, patting his back, awkwardly trying to think of other ways to make the Olympian feel better.

“But you don’t get it,” Hades started, a small whine escaping his lips, “I’ll die!”

“We all know that’s impossible, so can you stop with this farce and at least show me out? It’s only proper.”

“But I don’t want to!”

“Then do you want me to leave without saying goodbye?”

“Just don’t leave!”

“Oh Hades,” He sighed, shaking his head as he stood up, moving in front of the God whose head was arched down. “We met in the human realm, you can visit me whenever you want. I won’t be gone forever, I promise.” Persephone had said this nonchalantly, as a way to comfort his newfound friend, moving to cradle Hades’ head on his stomach and running his fingers through his hair. Persephone meant it--he _could_ visit whenever, he didn’t mind his presence, in fact, he welcomed it--but he didn’t expect the God’s reaction to the promise he’d made would land them in another awkward situation with the Gods (and most especially, his parents) soon after.

**_How quickly he fell; how soon it was over._ **

Regret is the best nutrition for hard work. Which was why Hades had been actively trying to reconstruct the river and connect it to a specific area in the mortal realm. At this point, he could only hope.

“Look, I’m trying as hard as I can to open this portal to be with him, so can you stop your nagging and let me do my work?”

“Like I said, I’m nagging _because_ I can’t let this happen! Do you know what kind of mess you’ll be bringing to the human realm as soon as you complete this antic of yours?” Zeus groaned, rolling his eyes as he shooed the other Gods away, speaking to his brother alone.

“They’ve evolved the past centuries, they have buildings that aren’t just made of rocks now! Humans can manage.”

“You don’t know that for certain, and you’ve already disrupted their lives once. I can’t allow you to do it again.”

“Zeus!” Hades shouted, eyes calm yet full of fire. “I will connect the river to the mortal realm safely. It will allow Charon to also move between realms and work with Thanatos regarding their death and soul-collecting.”

Zeus could see that even death wouldn’t make his brother back down, and he wasn’t about to start a war due to the other’s love life (though admittedly wars have erupted for more shallow reasons). Hades’ reasoning seemed sound, and although his reasons for doing so were not for any morally righteous reason, the benefits of having the river directly connected to the mortal realm and having more guardians of the Underworld arise far outweighed the fury of his wife. So he agreed, on the sole condition of Hades properly finishing his task with no hiccups along the way.

_**I felt my existence was tainted, in some subtle but essential way.** _

There were many hiccups; in fact it was more guttural coughs than anything.

Hades had failed the first two attempts in joining the two realms, directly influencing the peace of the world with the stench of death running rampant throughout the mortal realm. In the present day, the mortals called it the two World Wars. But after continuous effort and numerous visits to Persephone’s garden (under the watchful eye of Demeter), he finally connected the two. The portal ended up opening in a country known as South Korea, and under the guidance of Hermes, who was knowledgeable in the ways of the humans after being exposed to them via his travels, Hades had managed to put up a good front for the portal.

Numerous souls were offered a position in their so-called ‘company’, tasked to manage the portal and ensure that no souls make their way back. It gave them the chance to pursue life among the living again, so many had raised their hands to join. With an increase in underlings and a happy Charon (and an even happier Thanatos) it happened: Spring finally, truly, had arrived.

“So where’d you get your name, huh Mr. Choi Minki?” He asked, giving Minki a light nudge as he did, glancing towards the plaque at his desk with his new name etched on it.

“It came to me in a dream,” Minki replied, earning him a snort. “And where did you get yours, huh Mr. Kang Dongho?”

“Baby name generator.” It was Minki’s turn to scoff this time around, rolling his eyes as he finished making coffee for two.

“I still can’t believe you managed to do this,” Dongho commented, observing the sight in front of him, from the 72nd floor of a building overlooking central Seoul, shaking his head in slight disbelief. _Well, if anyone could manage this kind of stunt, it’d be him._

“I told you I couldn’t manage without you,” Minki replied, proudly puffing his chest out, “I just made it so it’s easier for you to keep your promise.”

The elevator bell dinged and out came two men, the taller having a more relaxed stride, his all-black suit fit for any wake. The shorter had hurried steps, though the taller had wrapped his arm around his waist so he couldn’t move as quickly as he needed. The two entered Minki’s office without so much as a sound, Minki greeting them with a small snort and a twitch of an eyebrow. 

“Thanatos, Charon, what brings you two here?”

“Please, it’s Minhyun now, Hades.” The taller smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Charon chose ‘Jonghyun’ to match with mine!”

“It’s more the other way around, but that’s not the point.” Jonghyun muttered, turning his attention to his boss. “I need you to approve a few things so we can adjust the river coordinates and have other branches open up so we needn’t go around the mortal realm all the time to collect souls, and instead have them come to us.”

“So my job gets easier, and I can spend more time with Jonghyun here!” Minhyun chimed in, nodding.

“Slackers deserve pay cuts,” Minki huffed, crossing his arms as he raised a brow, absolutely disgusted by how affectionate--in truth, barely affectionate at all--the two were being.

“I don’t get paid at all!”

Their days in the mortal realm passed by peacefully, with a few souls here and there trying to escape or cause a ruckus. Minki sighed whenever he had to deal with those fools who ate away from the time he could be spending with his beloved. Affirmation of their evidently mutual feelings had never been said out loud before, which constantly made him think of ways to say it _properly_. Charon--or rather, Jonghyun, had often told him that he’s grown sick of Minhyun telling him he loves him every day, so Minki tried to not follow suit even if those words are often at the tip of his tongue whenever he saw Dongho.

It was during a soul-collecting that he found the perfect way to do so. A soul he had to collect for Minhyun as payback for helping him with the portal (the deal was that he could ask him to collect souls in his stead 12 times, and Minki readily agreed, not knowing then that he was being used as an excuse for him and Jonghyun to slack off) was lamenting dying after his and his wife’s 15th anniversary, which prompted the God to ask about such events, and marriage. Through the poor soul’s story, Minki finally realised what he must do to truly display his affections for his beloved: a proposal.

_**He could be silly and vain and remote and often cruel and still we loved him, in spite of, because.** _

Minki bought the rings the night he collected the soul, pre-empting his mental breakdown over what to do. It didn’t help.

He’d watched numerous films and tv shows pertaining to love and marriage just to get the faintest of ideas as to how he’d pop the question. Should he bring Dongho out to dinner and hide the ring in his champagne or food? No, too risky. His beloved might not even notice and just end up eating or drinking it. Should he book an entire amusement park filled with their memories and have fireworks go off as he got down on one knee? Pass, they’ve never even been. Should he _go_ to an amusement park and do it there? _Too childish_ , he mused.

Then _how_ was he going to do this?!

Against his better judgement, he turned to the only people he could ask: Jonghyun and Minhyun. But, as expected, they came up with zilch. Jonghyun had told him to just pop the question during dinner, like any other day, and maybe add flowers to the mix since Dongho loves them. Minhyun proposed that he seek the help of Asteria and have the proposal written in the stars. Both suggestions were either too lax or too extravagant, both of which not being the ideal he was going for.

The rings were ready, his heart was dead set on loving Dongho forever, but the damn proposal was so far from complete that he let his days pass in a daze, causing Dongho much confusion and worry. 

“What’s wrong with him?” He asked, nudging Jonghyun in a low whisper, brows furrowed while he watched Minki stare at nothing.

“Puberty?” Jonghyun replied, shrugging as he walked away.

Minki had spent more than a month thinking about the perfect proposal, and still, _nothing_ . Dongho asked him if he wanted to eat dinner out the coming weekend, to which he replied enthusiastically, but also made panic set in his bones. _Maybe_ this was the time to ask? _Maybe_ he should rent out the entire restaurant just for them? _Maybe_ it’d be perfect to hide the ring in a cake? But ‘ _maybe_ ’ wasn’t what he wanted.

Just in case, he had told Minhyun and Jonghyun to help him set the mood, Cerberus’ smaller form clutched in his arms. Minhyun proposed he could sing for them--his talent in singing something he found due to the God serenading his ferryman one evening--and Cerberus could help carry the rings over and let the beloved dog participate in the occasion as well. Jonghyun would bring the flowers, a bouquet with Cerberus and Minki’s flowers.

The preparations were perfect, and he just had to dress nice to finish it all off. Until he realised that Minhyun had exceeded the amount of songs he was supposed to sing before Cerberus brought the rings out, and Jonghyun was nowhere to be found.

“Shall we leave?” Dongho asked, placing his utensils together on the plate before wiping the corners of his mouth.

“No!” Minki replied. His sudden shout echoed in the empty restaurant, and Minhyun stopped singing in shock. Dongho was all the more shocked, never having been shouted at by Minki.

“Why not?” He asked, brows furrowed. “We’re done with dinner…”

“I haven’t paid the bill!” Minki elaborated, chuckling nervously as he fixed his posture, trying to seem calm.

“Then let’s go and pay for our meal?” Dongho replied, confusion evident in his features.

“Just--” Minki started, before Cerberus had made his way towards them, paws muddy as he jumped up the table carrying an empty pillow that was supposed to have their rings tied to it. _Oh no_ , Minki thought, the dog running around Dongho in delight, his beloved playing with the dog without a thought, not minding the dirty paws.

Tears burst forth, leaving everyone in the hall, including Jonghyun who had just come all muddied up, in shock. “Why are you crying, my love?” Dongho asked, brows furrowed in concern, placating him with kisses to his temple. “What’s the matter?”

“Today was supposed to work out,” Minki replied, trying to hold back the tears that just spewed over due to a mixture of shock, embarrassment, and dismay. “I just wanted to tell you how much I loved you.”

“But you tell me that every day?” Dongho chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief, stroking his hair to calm him down.

“No I don't! I’ve never said it! At least not out loud…” He huffed in response, looking away dejectedly.

“Well, it may not have been in words, but you’ve showed me how much you loved me since the day you asked me to come home with you.” Dongho hummed, rummaging through his pockets. “Maybe this will make you feel better?” He added, presenting to Minki a small blue velvet box, the other opening it to see two silver rings inside. “I heard from one of the souls--Aron, was it?--that this was something lovers give to each other to vow their eternal love to each other. Well, will you wear it for me?”

Minki, who was already barely holding in his tears, let the dams open. “Of course I will! I won’t let you take it back! Ever!” Whines mixed in with a flurry of ‘I love you-s’ in all human languages were said, the only thing breaking them apart was Jonghyun’s dry cough.

“And what of these?” Jonghyun sighed, raising his muddy hands, holding onto the silver rings he was tasked to tie to Cerberus’ pillows. 

“We’ll wear them both!” Minki proclaimed, leaving a peck on Dongho’s lips before trotting over to Jonghyun, snatching the rings away and wiping them on his suit jacket before presenting it to Dongho. “That just means we love each other twice as much as anyone else!”

“I don’t think that’s…” Minhyun tried to interrupt, his voice of reason quietened down by Jonghyun pinching his side, the rest of his sentence ending up a small whimper.

“Don’t.” Jonghyun huffed, side-eyeing his partner.

A small chuckle escaped Minhyun’s lips as he leant down, whispering directly in his ears, “Should we get two rings too?”

“I’m not buying either of them.” Jonghyun replied, moving to leave the restaurant to let the couple have their moment, a small whistle leaving his lips soon after to call for Cerberus.

“ _Cubitum eamus?_ ” Dongho asks, offering Minki his elbow, a brow raised as he plastered on a smug expression.

“With pleasure,” Minki replies, smiling as he took his arm, sniffling a bit as they exited the restaurant.

_**This is the only story I will ever be able to tell.** _

“How did we end up here?” Minki asked, looking down at the rings on their fingers, the 72 storey building they built centuries ago, now a small house in a booming residential area.

"We started talking," Dongho replied, intertwining their fingers together, leaning over to rest his head on Minki’s.

"And then what?" Minki chuckled, moving to bring their hands close, kissing the back of Dongho’s hand as he stared at countless photos being presented on the screen, reminiscing on the past hundreds and thousands of years while Cerberus found their way to join them on the sofa and intrude on their alone time.

"And then we never stopped.”

**Author's Note:**

> WELL YOU MADE IT thank you so much for reading, if there's anything I should add/edit to the fic please tell me about it! I would love to hear how y'all imagine their relationship to be, given their status and their actual personalities/interactions that we've seen hehe
> 
> also 'Cubitum eamus' roughly translates to 'will you go to bed with me' in latin like ik its weird but i...spare me (also hehe the loving mood was changed to a horny one at the end bc happiness hehe anywho)
> 
> Head on over to @vvinnercty and idk yell at me for doing/not doing my job correctly lmao :((


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